USAA
Bottom line: USAA’s policy options and low complaint volume make it a good choice for many buyers, especially those on active duty.- Low number of complaints from consumers.
- Some policies include free perks for military personnel, such as a $25,000 severe injury payment.
- Option to add up to $100,000 of coverage to a term life policy after a major life event.
- Some policy types are issued by partner companies rather than USAA.
- No live chat or email options for customer service.
Why trust NerdWallet
1,413 life insurance rates sets collected.
441 life insurers analyzed by our team of experts.
185 policies assessed.
Dive deeper: Ratings methodology for life insurance.
NerdWallet's life insurance content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in life insurance. We follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure the content on our site is accurate and fair so you can make financial decisions with confidence and choose the products that work best for you.
About USAA life insurance
USAA earned 4.5 stars out of 5 for overall performance. USAA's products are designed specifically for active military members, veterans and their families, but the company's life insurance policies are available to everyone. USAA ranks highly for financial stability and draws few consumer complaints, making its coverage worth considering even if you’re not part of the military community.
Most USAA term and whole life policies are available nationwide. The company also sells universal life insurance policies from John Hancock that are not available in New York, and guaranteed issue life insurance from Mutual of Omaha that is not available in Montana.
Pros
- Low number of complaints from consumers.
- Some policies include free perks for military personnel, such as a $25,000 severe injury payment.
- Option to add up to $100,000 of coverage to a term life policy after a major life event.
Cons
- Some policy types are issued by partner companies rather than USAA.
- No live chat or email options for customer service.
» MORE: Compare life insurance quotes
USAA life insurance policies
Term life insurance. USAA's level term policy is available for 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years with coverage ranging from $100,000 to $10 million. Depending on the state, you may have access to additional benefits, including:
Coverage for active duty and reserve duty military members and their spouses during wartime, which is often excluded from life insurance polices.
A $25,000 payment if you suffer a severe injury while on active duty.
Guaranteed coverage after leaving the military.
An option to add up to $100,000 in coverage if you have a baby, get married or buy a house between the ages of 18 and 45.
An option to convert your term coverage to a permanent policy.
An option to replace your Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) with a USAA term life policy if you leave the military.
Whole life insurance. USAA sells whole life insurance, with coverage up to $10 million. You have the option to make payments for 20 years, until age 65 or for the full duration of the policy. You can also increase coverage after certain life events — up to a total of six times — with a free Life Event Option rider.
Universal life insurance. USAA sells standard and indexed universal life policies issued by John Hancock, a partner company. The standard policy comes with flexible payment options and a guaranteed minimum interest rate of 1%. The indexed universal life insurance policy ties the cash value growth to a market index like the S&P 500.
Guaranteed issue life insurance. Policies are available to applicants 45 to 85 (50-75 in New York) in all states except Montana. These policies are issued by Mutual of Omaha, another USAA partner, and don't require a medical exam or health questionnaire to qualify for coverage. Face amounts range from $2,000 to $25,000. Often called final expense life insurance, guaranteed issue policies can help cover burial or funeral costs.
USAA made our list of the best life insurance for seniors of 2025, and Mutual of Omaha, the carrier for USAA’s guaranteed issue policies, was named one of our best burial insurance companies for 2025.
USAA life insurance riders
Depending on the policy you choose and where you live, you might be able to add these riders to your policy:
Child term rider, which allows you to add all of your kids to your policy. Your children may have the option to convert the coverage into their own policies when they’re older, regardless of their health.
Waiver of premium, which pauses your premiums should you become disabled and unable to work for a period of time.
USAA life insurance rates
Below are monthly rates for a 20-year, $500,000 term life insurance policy from USAA. These are sample rates for a nonsmoking man and woman in excellent health — the final quote you’re offered will depend on factors like your age, health, lifestyle, occupation and driving record.
Age | Monthly rate - man | Monthly rate - woman |
|---|---|---|
20 | $19.57 | $21.65 |
30 | $21.24 | $24.15 |
40 | $32.49 | $36.65 |
50 | $82.90 | $76.65 |
60 | $222.90 | $185.40 |
Source: Insurer's site. Rates reflect the super preferred class and were generated on 10/24/24. | ||
USAA customer complaints and satisfaction
Over three years, USAA has drawn fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators for a company of its size, according to a NerdWallet analysis of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
» MORE: Best life insurance companies
What it’s like to apply for a policy with USAA
You can start your application by clicking the “get a quote” button on the main life insurance page of USAA’s website. As you make your way through the process, you’ll be asked for basic information such as your gender, height, weight, nicotine use and health history.
Eventually you’ll reach a screen asking how much coverage you need. You can either select your preferred coverage amount and term length or choose “I need help.” With the latter option, USAA will ask you several financial questions before recommending a coverage amount and term based on your needs.
Screenshot captured by our editorial team on January 8, 2025.
At this point USAA will give you an estimated price. To move forward with your application, you’ll need to log on or create an account.
Screenshot captured by our editorial team on January 8, 2025.
How USAA’s customer experience stacks up
USAA’s website offers basic information about the company’s life insurance policies, along with interactive tools that help you figure out which type of policy and how much coverage you need. For those who prefer not to get an online quote, the site provides a phone number to reach representatives who can assist you with buying a policy.
We called USAA to ask a couple of basic questions about its term life policies. After navigating the automated menu, we were quickly connected with a live agent. He answered both our questions without trying to sell us anything or needing to redirect us.
USAA’s chat feature is less useful; it’s a bot that can answer only a predetermined set of questions.
USAA has a well-rated mobile app for Apple and Android. You can use it to manage your policies and pay premiums.
What Reddit users say about USAA
Reddit is an online forum where users share their thoughts in “threads” on various topics. The popular site includes plenty of discussion on financial subjects like life insurance, so we sifted through Reddit forums to get a pulse check on how users feel about insurers. People post anonymously, so we cannot confirm their individual experiences or circumstances.
Opinions on Reddit about USAA life insurance are mixed. Some commenters praise the company’s low premiums, while others find their prices too high. Opinions are similarly divided over USAA’s customer service. A few people say they’ve had good experiences, but many others complain that USAA’s treatment of its policyholders has gone downhill in recent years.
Questions from Reddit: Our experts answer
Is USAA the best life insurance option for people in the military?
Active members of the military generally have access to life insurance through Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, or SGLI. But for those who want or need additional coverage beyond those policies, USAA life insurance may be worth considering. USAA policies have several features that may be attractive to active-duty military, including $25,000 in severe injury benefits and coverage during wartime. Learn about the best life insurance for veterans.
What happens when I reach the end of my USAA life insurance term?
If you outlive the term of your policy, your coverage will expire unless you choose to extend it, convert it to permanent life insurance or buy another policy. You may want to let your coverage lapse if you don’t need life insurance anymore (for example, if you’ve paid off your mortgage and put your kids through college). But if you still need coverage, you can expect your premiums to go up because you’re older than you were when you first bought your term policy.
Where USAA stands out
USAA’s website gives detailed information about all of its policies, laying out term lengths, coverage amounts, issue ages and more. You can get an online quote without entering your personal contact information, such as an email or phone number. And while the company offers specialized coverage for active duty and retired members of the armed forces, policies are also available to non-military personnel.
Where USAA falls short
Some policies are issued by partner companies and not available in Montana or New York. For customer service, you’ll need to use the phone or snail mail — the website doesn’t offer email or online chat with a live agent.
More about USAA
You can get a quote and apply for a life insurance policy online, plus manage your account, from the USAA website and iPhone and Android mobile apps. USAA also has a survivor relations team that can assist families of deceased USAA members, including help with any survivor benefits.
Other USAA insurance products include:
Boat insurance.
Classic car insurance.
Condo insurance.
Flood insurance.
Mobile home insurance.
Motorcycle and ATV insurance.
Pet insurance.
RV insurance.
Umbrella insurance.
How to contact USAA
USAA can be reached by:
Phone: Call 210-531-8722 or 800-531-8722 on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT.
Email: No customer service email available.
Live chat: Not available.
- How we review life insurance companies
In our life insurance reviews, our editorial team considers the customer and the insurer. These are some of the factors we take into account:
Policies offered. There are many types of life insurance on the market, and they fall into three key categories:
Term life insurance offers temporary coverage and a guaranteed payout if the policyholder dies during the term.
Permanent life insurance typically lasts a lifetime and builds cash value that can be borrowed against in the future.
No-exam life insurance issues coverage without the need for a medical exam.
Financial strength. We use AM Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s long-term financial stability and ability to pay claims. For life insurance, NerdWallet typically recommends considering insurers with ratings of A- or higher. Here’s the breakdown:
Exceptional: A+, A++.
Strong: A-, A.
Moderate: B, B+.
Complaints. These ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The best life insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints.
Buy online. This indicates whether an insurer allows you to apply for and buy a policy completely online.
Dive deeper: Ratings methodology for life insurance
Life insurance buying guide
Before you start comparing companies, choose the type of life insurance you want, such as term or whole life. Decide which life insurance riders, if any, you want the policy to include. Calculate how much life insurance you need and how long you want the coverage to last. Check that the insurers you’re considering offer the coverage you’re looking for.
When comparing rates, be sure the quotes are for the same amount of coverage over the same period of time. It’s also important to make sure the policy’s medical requirements match your needs. For example, if you want to skip the life insurance medical exam but don’t mind answering health questions, confirm that the application process for each policy you're comparing aligns with that.
Price may not be the biggest driver behind your decision to buy. Look at the number of consumer complaints each company receives, as high numbers can be a red flag about the quality of service.
For more guidance, see our life insurance buying guide.
Life insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s life insurance ratings are based on consumer experience, complaint index scores from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for individual life insurance, and weighted averages of financial strength ratings, which indicate a company’s ability to pay future claims. Within the consumer experience category, we consider ease of communication and website transparency, which looks at the depth of policy details available online. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.
These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
Insurer complaints methodology
NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2021-2023. To assess how insurers compare with one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.
